Kelaghayi is an art form rooted in traditions from the Great Silk Road that is concentrated in two districts of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Sheki and Basgal. Known as charqad, kelagahayi the fabric is made into traditional headgear worn by women with elaborate prints.
The shawl is made by weaving fabrics on looms and then boiling and drying them to create square-shaped cloths and has typically colored with meanings and often tied to specific social occasions, such as weddings, mourning ceremonies, daily activities, and celebrations.
The art of Kelaghayi making is primarily a family occupation and is passed down through non-formal apprenticeship. Each family demonstrates its styles and patterns of decoration. As a traditional practice, making and wearing headscarves serves as an expression of cultural identity, a symbol of religious tradition, and a way to reinforce the role of women and strengthen Azerbaijan's cultural unity.
It is possible to find kelaghayi elements in sweets and bread, tombs, and gravestones, as the forms and motives reflected in kelaghayi persisted into daily life. Certainly, all the above resulted in kelaghayi ornaments being reflected in the art of many nations. This shawl is commonly seen in Azerbaijani folklore, poetry, and fine and decorative art.
During a death, a man's body may be covered with a black kelaghayi. The kelaghayi continues to be worn until his burial ceremony. It means that kelaghayi has been a part of the Azerbaijani people all their lives. The kelaghayi also survives a peaceful mission. When a woman threw a black kelaghayi, the conflict ceased. As kelaghayi protects the family traditions, it is kept in the most favorable place in the house. It is possible to see it at the homes of Azerbaijanis living abroad.
The Kelagayi is a shawl that is much in demand. The weavers think that it is similar to Azerbaijani mughams, as it is woven in the same pattern. The use of seven colors is linked with the number of Azerbaijani mughams.
Although the fashion changes rapidly, the kelaghayi shawl is staying the same in size and pattern. It is considered a long-lived shawl. Kelaghayi's popularity continues in Azerbaijan and abroad.
Over the century’s masters from Basgal and Sheki established kelaghayi in other regions of Azerbaijan, but they also established kelaghayi in Georgia, Turkmenistan, Iran, Russia, and Uzbekistan. Today the dynasties continue this art form in Sheki city and Basgal settlement.